title: Role ambiguity, role conflict, or burnout: are these areas of concern for Australian palliative care volunteers? Pilot study results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether burnout, role ambiguity, or conflict affects Australian hospice volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospice volunteers (n = 120) were invited to participate in this pilot survey. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while the free-text responses were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Guidelines have been used to report this data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 97 participants completed the survey. The majority were middle-aged women who had been palliative care volunteers for more than 7 years and volunteered 14 hours/week (median). Participants reported low levels of role ambiguity (x = 8.4, standard deviation [SD] ±3.0) and conflict (x = 9.8, SD ±3.4) and described enjoying their volunteering and having no symptoms of burnout (76%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active hospice volunteers report low levels of role ambiguity, conflict, and burnout. Adopting a range of self-care strategies and working within a structured volunteer program appear to be important protective factors.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Cunningham Centre for Palliative Care, Sacred Heart Hospice, St Vincent's Hospital, Health Network, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia jane.phillips@nd.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hickman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: burnout; interdisciplinary team; palliative care; role ambiguity; role conflict; volunteer